


ride with me (alive with me)

by orphan_account



Category: TXT (Korea Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Amusement Parks, Fluff, M/M, OR IS HE, Romance, Soobin isn't having any of it, Strangers to Lovers, This is Yeonbin's impact, Well for me at least, Yeonjun is greasy, this is kinda dumb, vomit-inducing fluff
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-12-28
Updated: 2019-12-28
Packaged: 2021-02-18 22:49:03
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,850
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22001116
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/orphan_account/pseuds/orphan_account
Summary: Soobin has free passes to Everland and Yeonjun only needs one (1) to get through his heart.
Relationships: Choi Soobin/Choi Yeonjun
Comments: 5
Kudos: 106





	ride with me (alive with me)

**Author's Note:**

> I wanted to write something short but sweet because I missed yeonbin a lot and a short fic means instant accomplishment and gratification lmao. Anyway, I hope you guys enjoy this! 
> 
> \- As usual, I wrote this on my phone without editing so there might be some typos. Apologies!  
>  \- I've never been to Everland lol thought I needed to put a disclaimer on that kfjajdfkh  
>  \- Yeonbin have my heart

Soobin isn’t really the biggest fan of roller coasters. 

What most people describe as majestic and exhilarating only instills a strong sense of fear in him. If only people could see the elaborate, _deadly_ scenes forming in his head each time he takes one look at the gigantic killing machine, they wouldn’t dare get on those seats with the questionable safety handles and smelly faux leather. 

It would be unsurprising to anyone that Soobin chooses to spend the majority of his time in Everland taking selcas with the mascots and eating churros. This is exactly how he plans on spending the following two days as well, since he begrudgingly has to use up the free passes his mom’s friend had given him as a graduation present. They all expire in exactly two days, and all of his friends each have their own plans this week following graduation. 

That’s right, he’s going to be spending all three days alone, and he’s not the slightest bit sad. 

Alright, maybe he is a little sad. But that’s only because they chose today of all days to close down his favorite ride for maintenance. He clicks his tongue in disappointment and turns on his heels, thinking he might as well go back to the Magic Cookie House for the third time today and consume debilitating amounts of amusement park food like he originally planned. 

By the time he’s finished with his sixth churro, the queue for the roller coaster ride has gotten insanely long, and he finds himself shaking his head and muttering disdainfully to himself. “People are crazy.”

“Not a fan?” A voice bowls over his thoughts. He flinches ever slightly and turns to face the stranger.

Soobin is met with a sight of a boy who doesn’t look a day older than him wearing an Everland crew uniform with a tiny hat perched over his blue hair. He’s smiling at Soobin as if he’d said something really amusing, when in fact he was just talking incessantly to himself. 

“Not really.” Soobin answers, eyes fixed on the line that’s only growing longer by the second. “I don’t get why people would willingly risk their _lives_ for a minute of thrill.” 

The guy laughs, his mouth wide open as the actual syllables escape him. It’s a little amusing, but Soobin stifles any reaction in favor of appearing distant. Shouldn’t this guy be working or something? Anyway, there wasn’t anything funny about what he’d said. 

“I think it makes people feel more alive. It’s fun. You should try it.” He says, and Soobin only now thinks to read his name tag. 

Soobin squints. “Well, Yeonjun-ssi. If they wanted to keep being alive they shouldn’t be on that deadly ride. Same goes for people who swim for enjoyment.”

“I said _feel_ alive.” He chuckles. “But I hear you.” He grins. “How do you feel about carousels?” He says before swinging open the little gate behind him that leads up to the merry-go-round ride.

Soobin scrunches his nose and shrugs. “It’s fine I guess. It’s on my not-offensive list.” He glances at Yeonjun and finds he quite likes his smile. He lets that very smile persuade him into walking past the gate and towards the ride. 

There’s not many people here, save for some kids and a few couples, so Soobin doesn’t really have to queue in order to get on one of the porcelain horses. 

“Hold on tight. These horses can get pretty wild.” Yeonjun jokes, and Soobin rolls his eyes even though a smile is forcing its way onto his lips.

“Is it part of your job to talk people into going on the carousel?” 

“Nope.” He offers Soobin what appears to be an attempt at a wink, but it only looks like he’s trying to blink dust out of his eyes. It’s actually adorable, and Soobin purses his lips to avoid smiling like an idiot. Are Everland employees allowed to behave like this? Flirty and cute? Soobin doesn’t think so, but he may be enjoying it despite not wanting to show it.

With that, Yeonjun steps off the carousel and steps into the tiny control booth where he pushes a couple of buttons and sends them off with a small salute. Soobin lets out a scoff, but their eyes don’t leave each other until his mechanically operated horse prances away to the opposite side from where Yeonjun is standing. 

He thanks the cool wind and the fact that he’s on a moving ride for curing the redness on his cheeks as he works on composing himself. 

When the ride ends, Soobin finds himself a teeny bit dizzy, so when he gets off his pink and blue horse, he stumbles on his feet a bit. Thankfully, Yeonjun is there to catch him by his arms and prevent him from teetering sideways. 

Nope. Not thankfully—not when their faces are suddenly really close. Not when Soobin had tried so hard to calm himself down only for his efforts to be for naught. 

“You alright?” Yeonjun asks when Soobin manages to pull away. “Sorry was that too fast?”

Truthfully, Soobin doesn’t think the ride was at fault for the sudden dizzy spell—at least not entirely. Maybe it’s because he’d been trying to wrap his mind around how the cute Everland employee had effortlessly charmed him just now and that maybe he actually likes it. 

“I’m alright. Thanks.” Soobin offers a flustered smile. 

“Good.” Yeonjun looks relieved, and Soobin’s heart flutters a bit. 

“Off to the next one.” Soobin says half-heartedly because he doesn’t really want to leave just yet.

By the time Soobin is finally stepping off the carousel, a new group is already dispersing around the platform in search for their favored horses. Yeonjun sends him a quick smile and a few words before tending to the next group.

 _“Have fun. Go and feel alive, yeah?”_ He’d said.

Couldn’t Soobin do that on the carousel and spend a little more time with the strange Everland employee? What did he even mean? 

He ends up wandering around the park until sundown, when he’s almost completely worn out and back to craving something bready. He finds himself coming back to that same carousel where he’d met Yeonjun and realizes the blue-haired employee isn’t anywhere to be seen. Did he go home? Probably. The thought makes Soobin a bit sullen, but he remembers he at least has two more chances to see him, courtesy of his free passes. 

  
On his second day at Everland, he hadn’t realized just how much he’d wanted to see Yeonjun until he’d seen a different person manning the carousel and felt utter disappointment.

It’s silly how fast he’d developed a crush on that particular employee, but it isn’t like he’s never getting over it. It’s like one of those over the weekend-type crushes that last a whole day and die down when there’s no follow up. That’s what this is, and Soobin is so ready for his premature feelings to die down—even as he spends the rest of the day checking if Yeonjun had just been assigned to a different ride. 

  
His last day visiting Everland is, as expected, uneventful. A lot of the rides he actually enjoyed are now under maintenance, including the carousel, and Soobin contemplates just going home. 

He looks at the line for the roller coaster again and bites his lips. For some reason, the first thought that comes to his mind isn’t about people falling off the wagons and dying one by one. The one thing he thinks of is what Yeonjun had said when they met; about how the thrill makes people feel alive and that Soobin should try it. He doesn’t think there was any ill-intention behind Yeonjun’s words, just pure encouragement. It softens him upon recollection, and for the first time he contemplates seeing what all the fuss is about.

It’s getting ridiculous how long he’s been standing in the middle of the park, agonizing over taking a big leap or staying safely perched on the ground. His gaze follows the trail of wagons coursing through the tracks in quick and erratic directions and the mere sight of it already makes him want to hurl into the nearest trash bin.

His thoughts are interrupted by the shrill screams that ensue from the people on the roller coaster, and that in itself is enough for him to give up on the idea of trying the horrendous, life-threatening, ride.

That is, until he sees something familiar by the end of the queue. 

His blue hair sticks out like a sore thumb among the throng of people, but the only feeling this elicits from Soobin is sheer happiness. 

“Yeonjun-ssi?” He calls him as he walks towards the line. 

“Oh—it’s you!” Yeonjun beams, and Soobin’s heart takes a small dip. “I didn’t get your name last time.”

“It’s Soobin.” He answers without hesitation. 

“Nice to meet you, I’m Yeonjun, but you knew that, Soobin-ssi.” He punctuates with a laugh, and Soobin thinks the way he’d said his name followed by the cute laugh could cure whatever trepidation he’s feeling.

“What are you doing here?” The two of them ask at the same time, making Soobin blush. 

“I’m just visiting, you know, for amusement. This is an amusement park after all.” He says and chuckles. “Actually the other day when we met, that was my last day working here. Now I’m just using the free pass they gave me.” Yeonjun explains. 

This is when Soobin takes in Yeonjun’s casual attire. He looks so darn cool, with his leather jacket padded with fur and his ripped jeans. It takes all his will to not swoon and just stand there coolly. 

“Oh, that’s why you weren’t here yesterday.” Soobin’s tongue slips. Oh shit, he’s going to know Soobin searched for him embarrassingly.

“You were here yesterday too?” Yeonjun’s eyebrows raise. “Wow you really like this place, huh?” 

Soobin nods slowly. “I guess I do.” 

Yeonjun mimics his nod and offers what looks like a knowing smile. “You’re cute.”

Soobin doesn’t hear what Yeonjun says because apart from the carnival tunes and the noise from chattering park goers, the people on the rides choose that exact moment to scream relentlessly, effectively rendering him hard of hearing for a split second.

“What was that?” 

“I said, did you realize you’re now queueing for this roller coaster ride?” Yeonjun tells him, and Soobin is sure that wasn’t what he said. 

He blanches slightly though when he sees that he is in fact in line for the death ride with Yeonjun, and over twenty people have fallen in line right behind him while he’d been talking to Yeonjun. 

“Beautiful night to feel alive?” Yeonjun nudges his arm.

Soobin takes a deep breath. He wasn’t totally prepared, even as he spent over thirty minutes contemplating going on the ride and maybe conquering his fears. It had sounded way too cliche, even in his head, which made him inclined to reject the idea altogether, but seeing Yeonjun—strange as it may seem, is pushing him towards another direction. 

“Hey.” Yeonjun shakes him out of his thoughts. “You don’t have to get on this ride if you don’t want to. I get it can be scary. If you’re not ready, it’s fine. I’ll see you after.” 

The queue moves as Yeonjun speaks, and Soobin’s heart races. 

“No it’s—it’s fine. I’m fine.” He tries a firm nod. He realizes he’s not more scared of the ride than he is nervous being near Yeonjun. The guy just has an air of confidence and certainty around him that has Soobin feeling hyper conscious of his own state of ambivalence. He’s also insanely attractive, even more so with his casual outfit, which makes it ten times worse.

“If you’re sure.” Yeonjun smiles. “You’re going to be fine. I’ll hold your hand if it gets too much.” 

Soobin coughs, a blatant attempt at masking his giddiness and avoid choking out a pleased noise. “Uh, whatever. Sure.” 

Yeonjun laughs yet again, and Soobin finds himself smiling wholeheartedly.

The line is still quite long, but Soobin is easily distracted by Yeonjun who’s also really good at making conversation which he highly appreciates.

“I’m actually just trying to release some stress. I’m switching majors next semester and I haven’t told my parents yet.” Yeonjun says, sounding a little helpless.

“Are you afraid to tell them?” 

“Yeah. I mean, they’re good people and they’ll probably understand. I guess I’m afraid because telling them brings a sense of finality to my decision. No turning back.” He scratches his neck. “I guess we all have things we’re afraid of.”

“My being scared of a roller coaster is not the same as you contemplating your future career.” Soobin states, earning an amused look from Yeonjun.

“Well a career decision is not life and death—unlike roller coasters.” 

Soobin whines. “Bad joke, bad joke!” 

Yeonjun guffaws before waving his hand. “Sorry sorry.” 

It’s quiet for a moment before Soobin speaks again. “If the major you choose will make you feel more alive then you should go for it with no regrets.” 

Yeonjun tilts his head. “Are you—using my own words against me?” He chortles. 

“Don’t give yourself too much of the credit. A lot of it were my words.” Soobin smiles proudly. 

“Is that why you’re still here?” Yeonjun inquires, and Soobin now sees that they’re going to be next in line for the ride. 

“Oh my God…” Soobin feels his heart rate pick up. The mechanical sound of metal sliding and seemingly crashing on metal is much louder, much closer, and its impending doom is sitting heavy on the pit of Soobin’s stomach. 

“You can still back down, Soobin.” Yeonjun offers a concerned look.

“N-no!” Soobin protests. “I can do this.” He inhales deeply and breathes out before glancing at Yeonjun who’s giving him one of the cutest most comforting smiles. 

“Okay.” He then reaches over and takes Soobin’s hand, squeezing it gently. 

The gesture has Soobin’s nerves calm down a bit, but it also makes him feel giddy, more than anything. Still he’s feeling so many things at once now, and the only thing he wants is to get this ride over with and spend the rest of the evening getting to know Yeonjun. 

It’s finally their turn, and Soobin is thankful they get to sit next to each other for this possible defining moment in his life. 

The safety bar is large and thick, and it hinders him from turning his head, which he thinks is best, this way his neck won’t snap mid-way. He surmises these things are actually quite safe, and that he’s _probably_ not going to die. 

When they start to move, he feels Yeonjun reaching for his hand despite the obstacle provided by the handle bars. He takes it and holds it tight, not wanting to let go throughout the whole roller coaster ride. 

It’s hard to think of anything when you feel like you’re being hoisted violently in the air, but he does recognize the feeling of adrenaline coursing through his body with each up and down movement. 

He’s weak in the knees by the time the ride comes to an end, and he has to cling to Yeonjun to keep himself upright as they exit on the other side. 

“Holy shit. That was actually not the worst!” Soobin exclaims as soon as they’re away from the ride. 

Yeonjun has a big grin on his face. “Aren’t you glad you tried it? Isn't it amazing?”

Soobin sighs, finally regaining all his sense of balance. “It is…” He fixes his gaze on Yeonjun who looks incredibly beautiful all flushed with elation. He wants to wrap his arms around him.

So he does just that without much thought. He lunges forward and envelops Yeonjun in a tight embrace, so glad he’d been with him through that and glad he’d met him in general. It’s silly how happy he’s been made by someone he hardly knows, but he doesn’t dwell on that anymore. He doesn’t try to hide his true emotions anymore. 

Yeonjun hugs him back and lets out something like a giggle. Soobin wants to yell. 

They pull away, only a little bit, with Soobin’s hands still resting on Yeonjun’s shoulders. “Thank you.” 

“I didn’t do anything. You braved that one out yourself.”

Soobin feels pretty proud of himself, but it wouldn’t have even crossed his mind to try if it wasn’t for Yeonjun’s words of encouragement. 

“I’m actually really happy I met you.” Soobin confesses.

“Really? Thought you were weirded out.” Yeonjun snorts.

“I was...at first.” Soobin admits with a soft laugh, and Yeonjun joins him. 

“Hey.” Yeonjun starts. “Do you maybe want to go out sometime? Like a date?”

Soobin doesn’t even try to hold back his smile now as he nods. “Yeah. I’d like that.”

Soobin still isn’t a big fan of roller coasters—not in the slightest. What he _is_ a fan of though, is meeting Yeonjun, riding roller coasters with Yeonjun and feeling alive with Yeonjun. 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! Feel free to hmu on [twitter](http://twitter.com/yeonsubs). Comments and kudos are highly appreciated <3


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